AGRI Biz

Another year, another former All-Star suspended 50 games by Major League Baseball for testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs. Last year it was Los Angeles Dodgers slugger Manny Ramirez who was suspended for 50 games, and yesterday it was Cincinnati Reds pitcher Edinson Volquez who was suspended.   Obviously Volquez’s suspension isn’t as big of news as Manny being suspended, but it’s still pretty significant nonetheless. Here is the statement that was released by Volquez’s ...

Conor Jackson has always intrigued me. He looks and sounds like a guy who should hit .320 with 30 home runs and be an All-Star every year. Unfortunately, he is a guy who hits about .285 with 15 home runs every year. Which, if you consider it, isn’t all that bad. But the issue now with Jackson isn’t his productivity on the field, it’s the fact that he can’t stay on the ...

Kansas City Royals pitcher Zack Greinke used a historic April to propel him to the American League Cy Young award last year. I don’t think anyone expected Greinke to repeat his April performance this year.   Greinke is off to a slow start in KC Through three games this year, not only has Greinke not repeated his 2009 April performance, but has really struggled so far. Look at Greinke’s first three starts ...

Considering the Cleveland Indians got off to a 4-8 start last year, a 6-6 start this year seems pretty good. Then again, anytime a team from the miserable sports city in America is .500 or better, I guess the people from Cleveland are happy. Let’s see what else is going on with the Indians.   Brantley looks to be headed down to the minors Michael Brantley’s audition may be over. Brantley got ...

Lost in the very oddly played, sometimes head-scratching 20-inning marathon on Saturday between the New York Mets and St. Louis Cardinals was the starting performance turned in by LHP Jaime Garcia. The Cardinals’ rookie was very good on Saturday. Garcia matched Mets ace Johan Santana pitch for pitch, giving up just one hit (a blooper by Angel Pagan), walking two, and striking out five in seven innings. He now has an 0.69 ...

There are two really, really scary plays in baseball. The first being when a batter hits a line drive at the pitchers head and the second being when a pitcher hits a batter in the head with a fastball. The later happened when Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Vicente Padilla drilled San Francisco Giants center fielder Aaron Rowand in the head in the fifth inning of their game Friday night. The pitch ...

When was the last time a team cut their Opening Day cleanup hitter just 11 games into the season? Has that ever happened before? If not, the New York Mets made history on Sunday. Call it a panic move, call it a move out of desperation, or call it a move just to create some buzz, but the Mets have designated first baseman Mike Jacobs for assignment. In seven games, Jacobs hit ...

Thanks to a walk-off single last night by Lastings Milledge that scored Andrew McCutchen, the Pirates have gotten off to a .500 start this season. Due to their losing ways, the Pirates don’t get much love here at The Ghost of Moonlight Graham . But today is for the Pirates. Let’s see what is going on with the team from the Steel City.   Whatcha Gonna Do When the Pirates Run Wild on ...

It’s official: There will not be a winless team in Major League Baseball this year. The Houston Astros finally won a game yesterday, as they defeated the St. Louis Cardinals 5-1 in St. Louis. I, for one, am happy the Astros won because I will have something good to talk about when I am on Houston radio Saturday night. That’s called a cheap plug, kids. The Astros used a solid performance from Bud Norris ...

Los Angeles Dodgers’ LHP Clayton Kershaw has a ton of talent. There is no doubt about that. It’s that talent that made him the seventh overall pick in the 2006 Draft. Kershaw is entering his third year now in the major leagues and if he wants to get to the next level in his career, he is going to have to learn how to throw strikes. I don’t care how much ...